RETAIL trade union Usdaw is concerned by today’s police recorded crime statistics showing that in the year to June, there were increases in shoplifting across the East of England. In the whole of England and Wales, there has been a trend of persistent quarterly increases, with incidents now having more than doubled since the pandemic.
The Office for National Statistics released figures today showing an 18% increase in shoplifting incidents across the East of England. Individual statistics for the region’s constabulary areas are as follows:
Bedfordshire +37%
Cambridgeshire +11%
Essex +19%
Hertfordshire +13%
Norfolk +23%
Suffolk +7%
Usdaw’s latest annual survey of nearly 9,500 retail staff showed that over three-quarters had suffered verbal abuse and far too many had been threatened or assaulted. Two-thirds of respondents said that incidents of violence, threats and abuse they had experienced were triggered by shop theft or armed robbery. The union will be releasing new interim statistics from its annual survey during Respect for Shopworkers Week, 10-16 November.
Joanne Thomas, Usdaw general secretary says: “The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in these police recorded crime statistics for the East of England. While the rate of increase across England and Wales has slowed since it peaked at 37% at the end of 2023, the fact is retail crime continues to rise. Usdaw’s last survey found that this is in no way a victimless crime, with two-thirds of attacks on retail staff being triggered by theft or armed robbery. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.
“We have campaigned along with many retail employers for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem and we are pleased that the Government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill. It has passed all stages in the House of Commons and is now waiting for consideration in committee in the House of Lords.
“We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals, and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas, along with Respect Orders for offenders. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.”
Full report: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2024
Crime and Policing Bill: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938
Usdaw’s ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government. www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
For further information please contact Usdaw’s Media Officer, David Williams on: 0161 249 2469, 07798 696 603 or by e-mail to [email protected]
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion
